Written question asked by Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party) on Monday, 14 September 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 28 September 2026. It was answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Labour) on Wednesday, 30 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

Data Centres

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in applications for data centres in the UK; and whether there is adequate provision for connection to the national grid.

Answer: The government recognises that the demand for data centres is growing, reflecting their critical importance to the economy, public services and national security. This is placing increasing demands on the national grid, and we are taking steps to ensure that development is supported by sufficient energy infrastructure. We have established the AI Energy Council where we work with industry to enable data centre growth and manage challenges to the energy system. We are working with Ofgem, NESO and DESNZ to manage speculative applications for data centre connections, and ensure that network infrastructure can be built in the right places to support demand.

Secondary information